1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cleaner for a drafting mechanism of a spinning machine having a plurality of drafting mechanisms arranged at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of a machine frame.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in the drafting mechanism for drafting fiber bundles by a predetermined magnification, fiber dust and lint adheres to the peripheries of rollers or apron belts, and unless the fiber links are removed, the fiber dust and lint adheres to the fiber bundles, to consequently form a slub. Therefore, there have been proposed a variety of cleaners for removing the fiber dust and lint adhering to the top roller, the apron belt, or the like of the drafting mechanism. For example, Japanese Examined Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. 61-6169 discloses a cleaner where a clearer apron in contact with the top roller of the drafting mechanism and a comb for scratching off the fiber dust and lint adhering to the apron is arranged inside a roller cover to which a suction duct is connected. The cleaner is shifted at the upper portion of the drafting mechanism in the longitudinal direction of a machine frame, whereby the clearer apron is successively brought into contact with the top roller of each drafting mechanism to cause the fiber dust and lint resting on the top roller to adhere to the clearer apron, and then the fiber dust and lint adhering to the clearer apron is scratched off by the comb, discharged from the suction duct, and finally, accumulated in a dust box and the like.
In such a cleaner, since the roller cover is allowed to run at the upper part of the drafting mechanism, when the top arm of the drafting mechanism is lifted up during an ending or other operation, to make it non-operative, the top arm protrudes into the running passage of the roller cover. Accordingly, a problem arises in that the roller is not allowed to run further, and thus the drafting mechanisms following the concerned drafting mechanism can not be cleaned. Another problem arises in that the clearer apron has different frictional resistance to that of the top roller, depending on the running or stopped condition thereof, since the clearer apron acts intermittently to clean the top roller, and in particular, when the apron belt is attached to the top roller, a slip between the bottom roller and the apron belt occurs to produce a yarn unevenness.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 64-26728 discloses a cleaner wherein clearer rollers are raised into contact with the top roller, and the apron belt and the like are arranged on each drafting mechanism so as to be capable of freely rotating and stopping, and a raised endless belt is rotatably mounted on the running member. In this collecting apparatus, the raised endless belt is rotatably mounted on the running member, which is shifted at the upper position of the drafting mechanism in the longitudinal direction of the machine frame, to cause the endless belt to come into rotational contact with the clearer roller disposed on each drafting mechanism, whereby the fiber dust and lint on the clearer roller is scratched off by the endless belt, and then by a scraper, and discharged through the suction nozzle to accumulate in the dust box or the like.
The above-mentioned cleaner has also a drawback in that, since the run of the collecting mechanism is restricted at the upper part of the drafting mechanism, the collecting mechanism is not allowed to further run and the fiber dust and lint on the clearer rollers following the concerned mechanism is not collected when the top arm of the drafting mechanism is lifted up during the ending or other operation to make it non-operative, and providing such a condition lasts for a long time, the top roller of the drafting mechanism is not cleaned.
The first problem to be overcome is that, when the top arm of the drafting mechanism is made non-operative, the roller cover used for a sucking removal of the fiber dust and lint from the top roller and the like of the drafting mechanism, or the collecting mechanism for scratching off the fiber dust and lint adhering to the clearer roller, is not allowed to run.
The second problem to be solved is that the clearer apron has a different resistance to that of the top roller, depending on whether it is running or stopped, and in particular, when the apron belt is mounted on the top roller, a slip arises between the bottom roller and the apron belt, to generate yarn unevenness.